Bristol City

[redoubtable seagull]

Bristol City signed off as champions of league one with an 8 - 2 win in front of their fans. Nice way to finish.

With the capacity rising as the redevelopment of Ashton Gate continues, they'll have some good momentum going into next season.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I thought they had a new ground to move into rather than a redevelopment of Ashton Gate? Certainly could be up there next year similar to Bournemouth swashbuckling style effective forwards.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Yep. I think they'll need a bit of investment on the field to go with the infrastructure off it, as their style of play is fairly standard Steve Cotterill, shall we say, and of their main strikers this season, Matt Smith isn't their player, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas can be hit & miss in the Championship, and Aaron Wilbraham has a dreadful record at this level. But they will spend, and I think they'll do pretty well, as momentum is worth a lot.

MK Dins, unfortunately, should also do well. The third promoted side may be the only one who struggles, whichever of Swindon, PNE, Sheffield United or Chesterfield that turns out to be.

I know we're all trying to look up right now, but just keeping an eye on the bottom half- where we rightfully are- for a moment, there are far fewer obvious pups in this league next season. At the start of this one, you could have predicted Blackpool & Millwall would fill two of the bottom spots before August had even started. Only Rotherham perhaps exceeded expectations, and then only by a single place. Who are the dead certs to go down next season?? Rotherham are bound to be favourites, and that promoted side I mentioned above, but other than that?

We really are going to have to pull our socks up next time around, because if we play like we have done for much of this season again, there aren't going to be three sides worse than us.

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

Yep. I think they'll need a bit of investment on the field to go with the infrastructure off it, as their style of play is fairly standard Steve Cotterill, shall we say, and of their main strikers this season, Matt Smith isn't their player, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas can be hit & miss in the Championship, and Aaron Wilbraham has a dreadful record at this level. But they will spend, and I think they'll do pretty well, as momentum is worth a lot.

MK Dins, unfortunately, should also do well. The third promoted side may be the only one who struggles, whichever of Swindon, PNE, Sheffield United or Chesterfield that turns out to be.

I know we're all trying to look up right now, but just keeping an eye on the bottom half- where we rightfully are- for a moment, there are far fewer obvious pups in this league next season. At the start of this one, you could have predicted Blackpool & Millwall would fill two of the bottom spots before August had even started. Only Rotherham perhaps exceeded expectations, and then only by a single place. Who are the dead certs to go down next season?? Rotherham are bound to be favourites, and that promoted side I mentioned above, but other than that?

We really are going to have to pull our socks up next time around, because if we play like we have done for much of this season again, there aren't going to be three sides worse than us.

Almost gotta hope Cheaterfield Fluke a playoff win,as you say the two automatic additions will have momentum,We could be in big trouble.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Yeah, I was thinking it would be handy if Chesterfield made it.

I couldn't see any of the candidates setting the league alight, in all fairness, but you'd have to put Chesterfield on your relegation favourites list.

 

[Theatre of Trees]

I know we're all trying to look up right now, but just keeping an eye on the bottom half- where we rightfully are- for a moment, there are far fewer obvious pups in this league next season. At the start of this one, you could have predicted Blackpool & Millwall would fill two of the bottom spots before August had even started. Only Rotherham perhaps exceeded expectations, and then only by a single place. Who are the dead certs to go down next season?? Rotherham are bound to be favourites, and that promoted side I mentioned above, but other than that?

We really are going to have to pull our socks up next time around, because if we play like we have done for much of this season again, there aren't going to be three sides worse than us.

But then again at the beginning of this season who would have predicted the teams finishing 5th, 6th and 7th previously would have finished 23rd, 20th and 19th respectively at the end of it. I'd also add of the teams coming down QPR may be an interesting case, also there is usually a team from the middle which blows up the following season, who's to say more retrenching at Cardiff may have an adverse effect.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

But then again at the beginning of this season who would have predicted the teams finishing 5th, 6th and 7th previously would have finished 23rd, 20th and 19th respectively at the end of it. I'd also add of the teams coming down QPR may be an interesting case, also there is usually a team from the middle which blows up the following season, who's to say more retrenching at Cardiff may have an adverse effect.

Oh absolutely. I was just saying that there are few obvious outstanding favourites for the drop so far (like Blackpool, and to a lesser extent Millwall & Rotherham).

I'll be interested to see if Gary Rowett can keep up the momentum at Birmingham, or whether they'll drop off a bit. Sheffield Wednesday are usually candidates, but have money to spend this time. Huddersfield don't seem to be in much of a position to improve, likewise Charlton, but both have survived comfortably. Hard to imagine Reading being so crap again too. Cardiff are probably going to bin Slade off, but are perhaps still a bit of a basket case. Let's hope for another Premier League version of Wigan coming down

 

[atfc village]

Hopefully The Teds will come straight back down.

 

[el punal]

Yep. I think they'll need a bit of investment on the field to go with the infrastructure off it, as their style of play is fairly standard Steve Cotterill, shall we say, and of their main strikers this season, Matt Smith isn't their player, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas can be hit & miss in the Championship, and Aaron Wilbraham has a dreadful record at this level. But they will spend, and I think they'll do pretty well, as momentum is worth a lot.

MK Dins, unfortunately, should also do well. The third promoted side may be the only one who struggles, whichever of Swindon, PNE, Sheffield United or Chesterfield that turns out to be.

I know we're all trying to look up right now, but just keeping an eye on the bottom half- where we rightfully are- for a moment, there are far fewer obvious pups in this league next season. At the start of this one, you could have predicted Blackpool & Millwall would fill two of the bottom spots before August had even started. Only Rotherham perhaps exceeded expectations, and then only by a single place. Who are the dead certs to go down next season?? Rotherham are bound to be favourites, and that promoted side I mentioned above, but other than that?

We really are going to have to pull our socks up next time around, because if we play like we have done for much of this season again, there aren't going to be three sides worse than us.

After an incredibly disappointing season for us there is, I suppose, one silver lining in the cloud - we've actually got a manager in place for the close season!

Going back to August 2014, who would have thought that Bournemouth would finish as champions, Brentford would be in the play-offs, Derby would crash dive so alarmingly and little, old Brighton would finish just above the relegation places. Please let this season just be a horrible one-off.

 

[redoubtable seagull]

If Blackburn lose both Gestede and Rhodes then I could see them struggle. Rhodes is on a packet but would be attractive to a lower prem or relegated team. It'll be interesting to see what player recruitment Bolton do. I remember reading they were massively in debt and don't have the parachute payments to rely on. They seem to be slowly slowly getting worse every season. Finally, could Brentford's bubble burst if they do not get promoted. Warburton will go and could their better players be picked up by teams with larger turnovers and offer higher wages.

 

[gripper stebson]

8?

On current form it'd take us 36 games to get that many.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Bristol City home tie for me and Swindon hopefully, just need Swansea to implode or us to go up?!

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Since we've been in the Championship I've not dared to presume that we would automatically find ourselves in the top half of the table. I always think 'lets get to 50 points first - and then see where that takes us'. OK we comfortably made that target in the first three seasons and then pushed on from there, plus the last two seasons gave us realistic expectations that we could contend - even if we did play a bit above our true level under Oscar.

Going into this last season, with the exodus of quality players plus the impact of FFP I suspected we might struggle to finish around mid-table. However I certainly didn't expect us to struggle quite as badly as we did. We are damned lucky to have survived on 47 points. Failing to gain 50 points from 46 games and having such a poor goal scoring record is dire. Hughton's CV ought to suggest better things ahead but I really haven't seen enough from him to convince me that we have turned a corner. The calibre of signings over the summer will be critical. I hope I'm wrong but agree that at the moment there aren't 3 or 4 other obvious under dogs who are worse than us - so next season could be a struggle.

 

[Murray 17]

Finally, could Brentford's bubble burst if they do not get promoted. Warburton will go and could their better players be picked up by teams with larger turnovers and offer higher wages.

My thoughts exactly. They could be in danger of doing 'a Brighton'.

 

[clippedgull]

....and they sold us CMS Mark 2

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

If Blackburn lose both Gestede and Rhodes then I could see them struggle. Rhodes is on a packet but would be attractive to a lower prem or relegated team. It'll be interesting to see what player recruitment Bolton do. I remember reading they were massively in debt and don't have the parachute payments to rely on. They seem to be slowly slowly getting worse every season. Finally, could Brentford's bubble burst if they do not get promoted. Warburton will go and could their better players be picked up by teams with larger turnovers and offer higher wages.

Rhodes is a player that wouldn't be a gamble for a premiership team. Would cost 8/10 million, but if he doesn't perform you could get most of that back selling to a championship side.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

My thoughts exactly. They could be in danger of doing 'a Brighton'.

There best player will be in the Spurs squad most weeks I imagine

 

[theboybilly]

Bristol City home tie for me and Swindon hopefully, just need Swansea to implode or us to go up?!

I have absolutely no idea what this means

 

[JOLovegrove]

As people have said, Rotherham will be one of the favourites to go down. The likes of Fulham, Huddersfield, Bolton, Charlton and possibly Leeds for me?

 

[supaseagull]

Since we've been in the Championship I've not dared to presume that we would automatically find ourselves in the top half of the table. I always think 'lets get to 50 points first - and then see where that takes us'. OK we comfortably made that target in the first three seasons and then pushed on from there, plus the last two seasons gave us realistic expectations that we could contend - even if we did play a bit above our true level under Oscar.

Going into this last season, with the exodus of quality players plus the impact of FFP I suspected we might struggle to finish around mid-table. However I certainly didn't expect us to struggle quite as badly as we did. We are damned lucky to have survived on 47 points. Failing to gain 50 points from 46 games and having such a poor goal scoring record is dire. Hughton's CV ought to suggest better things ahead but I really haven't seen enough from him to convince me that we have turned a corner. The calibre of signings over the summer will be critical. I hope I'm wrong but agree that at the moment there aren't 3 or 4 other obvious under dogs who are worse than us - so next season could be a struggle.

Interestingly enough, other than the season where wolves and posh were relegated, over the last 5 years 47 points has been enough to stay in the division.